Inspired by Australia’s national flower, Wattle Pathways is an education social enterprise dedicated to addressing education inequity in Australia. Our aim is to build capable and resilient young people who achieve academically and grow into active, informed citizens contributing to Australia’s social cohesion.
Dr Ali Reza Yunespour
‘Education has changed my life. By establishing Wattle Pathways, I’m dedicated to share this experience with young people in Australia to thrive in their life.’
I arrived as a young refugee in Australia in 2005. Like many other refugees, I carried little more than a desire and determination to learn. I attended Marsden Intensive English Language Centre to learn English and graduated as Dux and vice-captain of Marsden High School in 2007.
My education journey reflects the deep impact of supportive communities. With scholarships from The Smith Family and the University of Sydney, I completed my Honours degree in International Studies in 2011. My passion for further education led me to pursue a PhD in Politics and International Studies at the University of New South Wales, where I studied admission practices in Afghanistan’s higher education and its ensuing (in)equities. I have learnt the opportunities and challenges of pursuing a career through further education.
For over 17 years, I have been volunteering with the Indigo Foundation Australia to help educate school-aged children in Afghanistan. My work bridges two worlds: the country I came from and the one that gave me a second chance.
In my role at the University of Melbourne since 2017, I teach experiential learning subjects in politics and conduct research focused on refugee (re)settlement and education in Australia. I aim not just to teach theories, but to empower my students to engage with the real world and create change.
From 2020 to 2025, I served on the Board of Directors at Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) to help make it a nationally recognised organisation and advocate for more compassionate and community-driven pathways for refugee resettlement. During this time, I am proud that CRSA helped to welcome and resettle around 700 new refugees into Australia.
I was honoured to be awarded ACFID’s Sir Ronald Wilson Human Rights Award in 2024, Rotary Club of Ryde’s Paul Harris Fellow in 2014, and Australian Prime Minister’s National Volunteer of the Year Award in 2011.
Driven by deep passion for education, I have founded Wattle Pathways as a social enterprise to equip young people in Australia with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in life, contribute to their communities, and navigate an increasingly digital world.
My vision is rooted in a simple but powerful belief—that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. With your help, I’m determined to achieve the mission of Wattle Pathways.
Dr Bilquis Ghani is Lecturer in Arts at the University of Canberra. Her research focuses on the mobilisation of the creative process through moments of social and cultural rupture. Bilquis supports humanitarian and community art programs in Australia and overseas specially in her role as the lead for Hunar Symposia, a collective of academics and artists creating spaces of decolonisation, discourse and collaboration between practice and theory. Bilquis’s book, ‘Sociology from art praxis in Afghanistan: Expression and resistance in Kabul’ is expected to be released in November 2025. Previously, Bilquis was the Head of Inclusion at the Sydney Opera House. Bilquis has arrived as a young child in Australia and has shown determination in her education and community engagement.
Alexander Reilly was a University academic for 23 years, teaching and researching in the areas of Constitutional law, migration law and policy, and Indigenous legal rights. He finished his career as a Professor of law in 2021 and has worked on State and Commonwealth Tribunals for the last five years. Alexander is currently a Tribunal member in the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He is also on the Management Committee of the Circle of Friends Australia which offers support for refugees in South Australia. He has maintained his role at the University of Adelaide as an Adjunct Professor.
Ali Amiri is a well-known author in Islamic studies. He has teaching and leadership experience specially through his extensive service at Avicenna University in Kabul, including as Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences. He holds an MA degree in Islamic Studies and Western Philosophy from Qom University. He has published influential monographs and edited classical texts in the Persian and Arabic language, while also advocating for political reform and civic education.
Ali Amiri has arrived in Australia in 2021. After learning English language, he studies at the University of Western Sydney. His recent memoir, Book of Exodus, recounts his personal journey of evacuation from Afghanistan and shows his commitment to rebuilding his life in Australia. He brings passion, experience, and deep cultural knowledge to his role as our Board Member.
Dr Abbas Farasoo has been working in the Victorian Department of Education in the past two years. He holds a PhD from Deakin University and an MA from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He has published widely and is the author of Proxy War in Afghanistan: The Politics of State-Wrecking (Manchester University Press, 2025). Abbas has significant diplomatic experience, including serving as Chargé d’Affaires of the Afghanistan Embassy in Australia (2014–2017) and as Deputy Director-General for Regional Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (2013–2014). Abbas is passionate about advancing inclusive and equitable education initiatives through strong community engagement.
Dr Farkhondeh Akbari arrived as a refugee in Australia and completed her PhD in diplomatic studies at the Coral Bell School of the Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. Her PhD research was about diplomatic actors and peace settlement negotiations with non-state armed groups. She has previously worked with the United Nations in New York, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate of Local Governance in Kabul. Farkhondeh has published widely on gender issues and has served as a strong advocate for human rights – especially the rights of women and girls.
Dr Nematullah Bizhan is a Senior Lecturer at the Development Policy Centre, Australian National University, with extensive experience in public policy, political economy, state fragility, and international development. He has held prestigious fellowships at Oxford and Princeton Universities, contributing to research on fragile states and post-conflict reconstruction. His publications include the edited volume State Fragility: Case Studies and Comparisons and his book Aid Paradoxes in Afghanistan, which critically examines state building and international intervention in Afghanistan. He has previously served in key governmental roles in Afghanistan, including Youth Deputy Minister and Director General of Budget, and has strong passion for youth education in Australia.
Amani Abusafia is an educator and researcher who believes in using education and technology as tools for social good. She is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Melbourne. She holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, and BS and MS degrees from the University of Sharjah. Amani is a member of Zonta International. She has been invited to speak at events across Australia and the Middle East, where she shares her insights on inclusive education, digital systems, and the impact on communities. She is especially committed to supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Dr Naser Ghobadzadeh’s academic works focuses on the intersections of religion, politics, and society, with particular attention to the Middle East and Islamic thought. He is the author of Theocratic Secularism: Religion and Government in Shi‘i Thought (Oxford University Press, 2023) and Religious Secularity: A Theological Challenge to the Islamic State (Oxford University Press, 2015). Naser holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Sydney and has taught at both the University of Sydney and Australian Catholic University. Previously, he worked with UNICEF,UNDP, and UNHCR. Naser is also a member of the Management Committee of the Yarra Foundation, a volunteer-run organisation supporting the education of disadvantaged children in Iran. These experiences shape his broader interest in education of young people and their career in Australia.
Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi is a Senior Research Fellow at the Initiative for Peacebuilding in Melbourne University. He completed his PhD at the Australian National University in 2018, where his doctoral thesis examined the dynamics of contentious politics in the context of the international intervention in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2017. He is the author of The Hazaras and the Afghan State: Rebellion, Exclusion and the Struggle for Recognition and co-author of Afghanistan: Politics and Economics in a Globalising State. He has previously worked with various NGOs and has a strong interest in global peace and justice.
Dr Nira Rahman specialises in educational design and student engagement at the University of Melbourne. Her works are focused towards a more inclusive, applicable, transformative and internationalised Arts and Humanities Education. She has a strong interest in co-creation in higher education; student voice and agency; student employability; and articulating transferable skills. She also regularly writes for Australian and Bangladeshi (in both English and Bangla) media on various topics that connect her academic interests to her personal insights around culture, language and identity of young people in Australia.
Sheryn Symons worked in various roles in the NSW Department of Education and the Australian Catholic University over almost 40 years. She began her teaching life as a Social Sciences teacher with a special interest in teaching Economics. Transitioning to the role of Careers Adviser led her into roles in Regional and State Office. Sheryn was responsible for working with the 38 schools in the Northern Sydney region when the Government announced the new school leaving age, to ensure that the schools had relevant curriculum and programs to support all students. She led a number of statewide programs including the School to Work Program and the training of all NSW Careers Advisers. Sheryn was recognised for her work in 2011 with a Director General’s Award for excellent service to public education. Her greatest reward came from supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds to realise their potential.
Bahar Hazhir, Tutoring Program Coordinator
E: bahar.hazhir@wattlepathways.com.au
Roya Yunespour, Tutoring Program Coordinator
E: roya.yunespour@wattlepathways.com.au
Hasina Yosufi, Civic Education Coordinator
E: hasina.yosufi@wattlepathways.com.au
Dr John van Kooy is a researcher and policy analyst with 20 years of international experience in academia, government, and community organisations. He has held positions with World Vision International, Monash University, Welcoming Australia, and the Australian Institute of Family Studies. His PhD, awarded in 2022, focused on the neighbourhood conditions for refugee resettlement in Australia. He has published numerous reports and articles on the settlement, integration, and inclusion of migrants and refugees. In his current role as Senior Manager, Social Research with the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, he leads strategic projects drawing on the Institute’s data assets and community connections.
Hussain Rezaiat has been working as Settlement Director of the Middle Eastern Communities Council of South Australia for over 10 years. He has co-founded the Wali-e-Asr Centre which is dedicated to socio-cultural education of Hazaras of South Australia. He is a member of South Australian Multicultural Commission and the Australian Multicultural Council. Mr Razaiat continues to advocate for human rights and intercultural harmony while pursuing a Juris Doctor, building on his Master of Theology and Islamic Studies from Charles Sturt University. He arrived as an asylum seeker in Australia in the early 2000 and was recognised as joint winner of the 2020 South Australian Governor’s Multicultural Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement.
Farzana is the FICT Team Leader at STARTTS NSW. A former Hazara refugee from Pakistan, she has dedicated her career to improving settlement, education, and employment outcomes for culturally diverse communities across NSW.
She previously worked as Program Manager at the Community Migrant Resource Centre and as Stakeholder Engagement Manager with Navitas Skilled Futures. Farzana holds a Master of Business Administration from Western Sydney University, as well as a Bachelor of Statistics and Economics and a Bachelor of Education from Pakistan.
A passionate advocate for refugee and human rights, Farzana works tirelessly to support refugees and humanitarian entrants in building safe, fulfilling, and empowered lives in Australia. In 2024, Farzana was recongnised as a finalist of the NSW Women of the Year Community Hero.
Asha Reilly has a degree in psychology and is currently completing her honours degree in the same field at the University of Adelaide. As part of her school and university education, she has also benefited from exchange programs in the UK and Indonesia that has given her a deep understanding of cross-cultural knowledge and skills. Asha has first-hand-experience in after-school care education as well as supporting people with disabilities. Through her volunteer work, she has helped education programs in East Timor, Sumatra, and Central Australia. Asha is our ambassador in South Australia.
Dor Akech Achiek is the Group Head of Settlement Services at SSI, a community-based, not-for-profit humanitarian organisation providing various human and social services. In his role, Dor provides strategic and operational management of SSI’s Settlement Services across Australia’s eastern seaboard. For the past 15 years, Dor has worked with refugees, humanitarian entrants, and people seeking asylum. Dor holds a master’s degree in international law and international relations and a diploma of community services coordination and a diploma of children services. Dor came as refugee from South Sudan.
Shirley Randell is an award-winning global mentor, educator, author, public speaker,
change activist, and campaigner for human rights. She has provided specialist
technical assistance to governments and agencies in Africa and the Asia Pacific
Region over 20 years as a leading expert in education, gender mainstreaming and
human rights in developing countries. In 2010, she founded and was first Director of
the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Rwanda. She was the Lead
consultant for four Global Rights’ Legal Fellows’ Workshops on Advanced Training
and Empowerment on Gender Awareness and the Legal Framework in Afghanistan,
Kabul 2012. Shirley was an Australian Inaugural Women of Influence in 2012, a
TIAW World of Difference Awardee in 2013, and winner of the Institute of Managers
and Leaders ANZ Sir John Storey Lifetime Leadership Achievement Award in 2018.
She is a distinguished alumna of the Universities of New England and Canberra and
an honorary professor at the Universities of Newcastle and Canberra.